Knitted fabric



Feb. 28, 1939. w. L. HOUSEMAN 2,148,983

KNITTED FABRIC v Filed Jan. 18, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l I AFfUF/VEVS- amok,

Feb. 28, 1939. w H M N 4 2,148,988

KNITTED FABRIC FiledJan. 18, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5a5c dd? cZa ed Z bccoocc 7' ORA 6V6".

Patented Fa. 28, less PATENT OFFICE KNITTED FABRIC Wilbur L. Houseman, Somerton, Pa., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, N. H., a. corporation of Massachusetts Application January 18, 1933, Serial No. 652,307 12'Claims. (Cl. 66 201) This invention relates to a knitted fabric and particularly to a knitted fabric having designs produced therein by wrapping, the fabric being particularly that for astocking.

The production of designs by causing suitable fingers to wrap individual needles is well known. To produce wrapping or fail to produce wrapping atpredetermined times has been accomplished either by the control of the wrap yarn fingers or the needles which may be moved either to positions to take yarn from the wrap fingers or to avoid taking such yarn in the formation of predetermined courses. Further elaborate effects are produced by causing relative shogging between the wrap yarn laying devices and the needles so that zigzag patterns result, the same wrap yarn producing loops in more than one wale.

In order to produce wide bands or the like by the above mentioned process it is necessary to associate with each of the needles forming loops in such desired band an individual wrap finger carrying an individual wrap yarn. In order to more readily form wide panels including a number of wales the process known as panel Wrapping has been carried out, the machines for the production of such panel wrapping being provided with fingers each of which presents a single yarn to a plurality of needles in the formation of a single course. Various methods have been devised for causing suitable fingers to present wrap yarns in this fashion to a number of needles. One of the most satisfactory of such methods involves the use of an abutment which retards the yarn, in the case of a rotary needle machine, while the needles and wrap fingers continue to move so that the presentation of the yarn to a plurality of needles takes place.

The processes heretofore involved in the production of panel wrapping do not lend themselves readily to the formation of elaborate designs. That is, it is not generally feasible to secure wrapping of different colored yarns on adjacent needles.

The present invention relates to a fabric having wrap designs of novel characteristics formed therein by a combination of panel and individual needle wrapping. More specifically it relates to circular knit fabrics in which designs are pro-' duced by shogging, that is, by the carrying of a wrap yarn into various different wales with resulting zigzag designs. In brief the invention relates to the production of fabrics having designs of extreme intricacy.

In an application filed January 19, 1933 in the joint names of Harold-E. Houseman and Wilbur L. Houseman Serial Number 652,522, there are described and claimed a machine and a process for commercially producing the fabric forming the subject matter of the present case. The ma- 5 chine of the joint application is briefly illustrated herein to make clear the preferred method ofproducing the new fabric.

In the accompanying drawings: 1

Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 show diagrammatically charin acteristic types of fabrics within the scope of the present invention. In these views, the faces of the fabrics are shown, the success' 'e courses being shown in order from top to bottom and the squares representing loops, surface plating by 16 wrap yarns being indicated by shading. The type of needle corresponding to each wale is indicated at the top of the fabric, and controlling cam positions corresponding to the various courses are indicated at the left. Wrap fingers are indicated in their relationships to the'needles for the knitting of the first course. The resultant needle and wrap finger showing is that which would appear when viewed from the interior of the needle cylinder corresponding to the inside development of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is an inside development of the needle cams together with a diagrammatic illustration of their relationship to wrap finger controlling cams;

Fig. 6 is a radial vertical section showing certain needle controlling elements;

Fig. '7 is a detailed vertical section showing the arrangement for the production of panel wrap- D Fig. 8 illustrates the different types of needles used on the machine; and

Fig. 9 is an elevation of a stocking made in accordance with the invention.

The preferred machine for producing the fabric 40 of the invention is of the stationary needle-rotary cam type and includes a needle cylinder 2 in which are slidably mounted in the usual fashion needles 4 provided with the usual butts and being without shoulders or having shoulders of three different lengths, as will be pointed out in greater detail hereafter. The stationary needle cylinder has associated therewith a stationary sinker dial whileboth the needle and sinker cams rotate for the production of stitches. The main yarn supply and fingers for feeding the same also rotate. The revolving parts of the machine are carried by a rotarydisc 6 to which the needle cams generically designated at 8 are secured. These needle cams include the top center cam I0,

the bottom center cam I2, the stitch cams I4 and I6 and the end cams I8 and 20 together with the usual associated cams and instrumentalities most of which are omitted in the present showing. Bee sides the conventional cams there is provided a fixed cam 22 designed to operate on the butts of the needles to raise the needles together with a radially movable cam 24 designed to selectively engage the shoulders of needles and lower them. This last cam together with its operating connections will be more fully described hereafter.

Wrap fingers 44 whose support and operation are described in the applicationreferred to above are arrangedto carry yarns about needles and have shogging movements relative to the needle circle for the production of zigzag designs. They are provided with butts above their pivots, these butts occupying a number of positions to which there correspond controlling earns 50 and 52. The upper ten of these in the present case have active edges of relatively limited angular extent as indicated in Fig. 5 while the lower four have active edges of substantial angular extent as indicated in the same figure. The distribution of these cams may, of course, be varied as indicated in the joint application. All of the cams 50 and 52 are controlled by suitable pattern mechanism.

The cam 24 is carried by a radially movable sliue 92 supported in an upstanding bracket 9| secured to the rotating disc 6. A spring 94 urges the slide 92 outwardly to a position determined by the engagement of a laterally extending lug 96 on the slide with one of the steps 98 formed on the horizontal arm of a bell crank I00 or with the bracket 9|. A spring I02 urges the bell crank I 00 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6, its movements being limited by a suitable stop. A bell crank I04 pivoted to the bracket 9| has an upwardly extending arm arranged to engage the slide 92 to move the same inwardly against the action of the spring 94. The horizontal arm of the bell crank I04 is notched at its outer end to provide a series of steps I06. A bell crank I08 pivoted on a fixed portion H0 oi the machine frame overlies the arm being urged downwardly in contact therewith by a spring H2 The upstanding arm of this bell crank carries a cam II4 designed to selectively act upon the steps I06. Clockwise movement of the bell crank I04 is limited by a pin I01 extending outwardly from the bracket 9|. A fixed cam I I6 is arranged to engage the upwardly extending arm of bell crank I00 to rock it counterclockwise as illustrated in Fig. 6 thereby freeing slide 92 for movement to such position as may be determined by the position of lever I04 under the action of cam II4.

In the present instance there are three shoulders 98 adapted to engage the lug 96 carried by the slide of the cam 24. As a result the cam 24 may occupy four alternative positions engaging any one of the three steps 98 or the bracket 9|. Similarly three steps I06 are provided on the bell crank I04 which may be selectively engaged by thecam 4 which, however, may also occupy an extreme outer position in which it fails to engage any of the shoulders.

To correspond with the four positions of the cam 24 there may be provided in the setup of the machine needles having shoulders of any 'of four different lengths or having no shoulders. These needles are illustrated in Fig. 8, the numeral 4 being applied specifically to the needles without shoulders while the needles with shoulders are-designated 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d respective- 1y. The butts on these needles are of long, short or intermediate type depending on the positions in the needle circle so that heels and toes may be knit in the usual fashion. So far as the present case is concerned, however, no distinction is made between the short and long butt needles inasmuch as the only characteristics which need be considered are the lengths of shoulders or the absence thereof. The positions of the cam 24 are such that the cam may engage the shoulders of needles 4d only, 40 and 4d only, 4b and 4c and 412 only or all four types of shouldered needles while failing of course to engage those needles which are not provided with shoulders. The outermost position of the cam 24 is such that the shoulders of needles 4d will always be engaged thereby and depressed due to the cooperation of the cam with the needles as indicated in Fig. 5. The respective positions of the cams referred to above will be hereafter described as positions d, c, b and a. respectively, it being understood that in the position b, for ex ample, the cam will engage and depress needles 4b and also those carrying longer shoulders, namely, 40 and 4d.

As illustrated in Fig. '7 there is provided immediately beyond the point where wrap fingers are swung outwardly by the action of earns 52 an abutment H0 of well known conventional type used for panel wrapping, this abutment serving to carry the wrap yarn through a pre-. determined angular distance so thatit will be engaged by the hooks of selectively raised needles for the production of panel wrapping. The abutment H8 and the cams 52 and 68 are so designed that the wrap fingers which are to produce panel wrapping are held outwardly and the yarnis sufficiently spread so that there may be wrapped upwardly of twenty needles on a 220 needle machine. The proper relationship of movements of the wrap fingers and form of the abutment to effect this may conform to well known practice. In other words, theparts may be adjusted so that panels of a maximum width of approximately one inch may be produced. A guard I20 of the usual type is provided inwardly of the needle circle. Both the abutment Ill! and the guard I20 are secured to the latch ring.

In the operation of the machine which is designed to do its patterning during rotation the cams move relatively to the needles in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5. The cam 22 which is fixed with respect to the various knitting cams raises all of the'needles which are thereafter selectively lowered by the action of the cam 24. Those needles which are lowered are not wrapped by the fingers acted upon at the position of the cams 52. Those needles which remain in upper position are panel wrapped by the action of the fingers selectively moved outwardly through the needle circle by the cams 52 and thereafter returned by the cam 68. It may be pointed out that for panel wrapping, needles cannot safely be wrapped by two diiferent fingers at this point unless the successive fingers performing the panel wrapping are spaced by a distance greater than the maximum width of a panel inasmuch as the abutment II8 insures panels of substantially identical length if all of the needles are raised. This constitutes one of the usual limitations of a panel machine and the only means for securing wrapping on adJacent needles has been the establishment of successive panel wrapping points preceding the point of drawing the stitches.

Following the placing of the wrap yarns within the hooks of the needles by the panel wrapping mechanism, all of the needles rise over the cam l4 to a position to be selectively individually wrapped by wrap fingers controlled selectively by the cams 5|] and returned by the cam 10 just prior to being lowered to draw stitches at the feed point of the main yarn or yarns.

In Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive the fabric has been conventionalized to the extent that each of the squares in the grids shown in these figures represents a loop. The color obtained .by plating each loop is indicated by suitable hatching. A horizontal row of squares represents a portion of a single course while a vertical row represents I a portion of a Wale corresponding to a certain needle. The character of the needles forming the mation of the loops represented in the successive courses. As pointed out in the description of these figures, the convention which is adopted illustrates the wrap fingers and needles in coniormity with Fig. 5 while the faces of the fabrics are illustrated.

In the following description the wrap fingers will be said to be'shogged forward when they move in a direction opposite that of the cams, i. e. counterclockwise, away from needles to be panel wrapped, or to the left relatively to the needles as viewed in Figs. 1 to 4. v

With the above general explanation therewill now be described the characteris ics of the various illustrated fabrics.

Referring first to Fig. 1 there is disclosed therein a fabric comprising figured panel wrapping and shogged and patterned individual nee'dle wrapping. Except in the course indicated at 200 for the formation of which the cam 24 occupies the position a there is panel wrapping on *one or more needles. The needles on which panel wrapthe cam 24 so that panel wrapping thereon does not take place. By following the loops formed by the finger 20B carrying a green yarn, the steps of shogging may be readily seen. The three fingers which are used to form the panel wrapping are shown as near the needles to be wrapped as they may be in order to successfully form the design illustrated. That is, in-spite of the fact that the shagging of fingers at the time loop 204 is formed has taken place one step backward of that illustrated at the top of Fig. l, the finger 202 is in position to form this loop. of course, the wrap fingers may occupy positions forward of those illustrated limited only by the possible width of the panel formed by the machine. It is immaterial in the operation whether or not'the fingers used for panel wrapping are capable of wrapping those needles on which individual wrapping is to take place. As will be pointed, out

later, in fact, panel wrapping and individual wrapping may take place on the same needles with one overlapping the other. In the fabric shown in Fig. 1 there is no double use oi the same finger to produce both individual needle wrapping and panel wrapping although this may be done as will be pointed out hereafter. Of course, single as well as multiple needles may be wrapped by panel wrapping which term is used herein to designate such wrapping as is effected by the action of the cams 52 and abutment H8 and may be said to involve moving a wrap yarn in an extended path whereby it may be engaged with one or more predetermined needles as contrasted with individual needle wrapping as effected by cams 5|] in which a wrap yarn is moved in a restricted path to cause it to be engaged only with a single needle irrespective of positions of needles closely adjacent said single needle. It will be noted that the fingers used for panel wrapping are successively brought into action during the formation of the vertical panel. An unwrapped series of loops such as 200 can of course be produced in a generally wrapped series of wales by withdrawal of the wrap fingers from ac tion as well as by the manipulation of cam 24 to lower all of the needles on which panel wrapping may occur.

The design formed by individual needle wrapping is produced in an obvious fashion by selectively bringing into action and taking out of action the various fingerson both sides of the center finger 206. Of course, this pattern may be interrupted by the removal of all of the individual needle wrapping fingers from action and may take numerous forms well known in the art. Primarily, this fabric is illustrated to indicate the non-interference of shogging and patterning by individual needles with panel wrapping and vice versa. I

.In Fig. 2 there is illustratedanother type of fabric which may be produced by the present machine. In this case the wrap fingers are shogged and selectively brought into action and removed from action to produce a hollow individually wrapped figure. The openings therein indicated at 208, 2! and 212 are filled by panel wrapping produced in the present instance by three fingers which are cut out of action or brought into action selectively as will be obvious. In this fashion with a minimum of complication a quite intricate filled-in design may be produced. As will be obvious hereafter, various loops within the panel wrapped portion may be plated by individual needle wrapping. The manipulation of the needles to produce the panel wrapping will be obvious from a consideration of the types of needles and the positions of the cam 24 indicated in the figure.

In the fabric. illustrated in Fig. 3 there are illustrated a number of peculiar results effected by the present machine. In this fabric 'a shogged individually wrapped pattern indicated at 2l6 is formed by the wrap fingers 218 which are selectively brought into action in an obvious fashion by the action of earns 50 on butts thereon. An

individuallywrapped vertical panel at 220 is produced on a single wale by-the use of three wrap fingers 222 carrying the same color yarn. By the:

use of the three fingers this vertical panel can be produced in spite of the shogging. Ordinarily in a machine capable of panel wrapping a panel of this character independent of shogging could be produced-by panel wrapping independently of the shogging in the manner analogous to that illustrated in Fig. 1. In the present instance, however, this panel falls either within or very close to the range of a panel formed by panel wrapping with yarns of other colors. As a consequence, even though a multiple number of wrap fingers are necessary for its production individual wrapping is relied upon for its formation.

The three fingers 224, 226 and 228 are similarly used to form the panel indicated at 233 which, in the present instance, is illustrated as having side projections. The finger 228 however is also available for panel wrapping at 234 although this finger 228 is used to individually wrap the loops indicated above and below the panel wrapped portion 234at 236. It will thus be seen how the same finger may be used for both individual needle wrapping and panel wrapping. Fingers 238 serve to produce the other colored portions by panel wrapping. The finger 240 serves to .form the portions MI by individual needle wrapping. It is to be noted that this pattern follows the shogging movements. The arrangement of the series of fingers including 238, 240, 224, 226 and 228 may be particularly pointed out inasmuch as this illustrates the freedom of position of the panel wrapping fingers which may be suitably interspersed among the individually wrapping fingers which, of course, must occupy definite positions for the production of any given design.

As has already been indicated panel wrapping by two fingers at the same wrap point can only be used where there is a spacing of the panel wrapping fingers by an amount depending upon the arc of their action. In the present instance, it is assumed that panel wrapping by fingers 242 and 244 would not serve to wrap the needles forming any portions of the righthand wrapped panel. in general, it might happen that these fingers would have to be moved further to the left than illustrated in the figure. The fingers 242 and 244 serve to form the panels 248. The needles involved in this case are without shoulders so tha wrapping always takes place so long as either of the fingers 242 or 244 is in action. Of course, this panel may be interrupted by removing both of the fingers from action just as each is removed for replacement by the other. The fingers 242 and 244 also wrap in the portions indicated at 248 and 250. The finger 2 14 is always forward of the extreme lefthand nedle which is capable of taking panel-wrapping yarns at 52 and, accordingly, the forward boundaries of the portions 258 which are wrapped by the yarn of finger 244 are not affected by the shogging. These portions are effected, however, by the positions 02 the cam 24 except the extreme lefthand wale which is formed on a needle without shoulders. The portions 248 on the other hand have their shape determined both by the shogging and the positions of the cam 24 as willbe obvious inasmuch as the finger 242 can only wrap needles to its-roar as illustrated in Fig. 3. Accordingly in the extreme lefthand panel of Fig. 3 it is shown how panel wrapping may be independent of or dependent upon the shogging for the production of figures. There may be particularly pointed out the courses indicated at 252 in which wrapping takes place on the extreme forward needle irrespective of the fact that the other panel needles are not wrapped, while there may be contrasted the course 254 in which the extreme orward needle is not wrapped because the finger 262 is to the rear thereof. It is thus seen that shogging may be used instead of removal of a finger from action to brealr a panel formed on a needle which is always in raised position to receive a wrap yarn if any is presented.

In Fig. 4 there is illustrated a fabric in which individual needle wrapping takes place over panel wrapping and a wrap finger is used for both individually wrapping and panel wrapping needles. The fingers 260 and 262 are used for panel wrapping, the former being also used for individual wrapping at 210. The shogging which takes place determines the forward extremity of the wrapping by the finger 260 which produces the portions 264 and 266. The finger 262 produces the panel wrapping indicated at 268. The finger 212 individually wraps needles forming loops indicated at 214 which are plated over the panel wrapping by the finger 260, and at 216 over the panel wrapping 268 of the same color. Alternatively finger 212 may be rendered inactive at 216. At 218 this finger produces individual needle wrapping which does not overlap the panel wrapping inasmuch as the needle forming 218 is not wrapped by the finger 260 in the first course. The fingers 282 and 284 produce individual needle wrapping at 288 and 286. The arrowhead is terminated at 288 by removing the individual wrapping fingers from action and causing all of the panel needles except those forming the panel 266 to be removed from action.

The above four examples illustrate the great variety of effects producible by the process and machine of the present case. It will be readily seen that these effects are of a far more elaborate nature than those producible by panel or individual needle wrapping alone.

There is illustrated in Fig. 9 a stocking incorporating the fabric illustrated in Fig. 1. In this stocking designated 30!] a panel wrapped design of the general type indicated in Fig. 1 is repeated at 302 while the individual wrapped design is indicated at 304. The front designs may be carried down to the instep, the rearmost designs being interrupted at the heel so that there is no designing through the bottom of the foot.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A circular knit fabric including a body of interlinked courses of main loops, a wrap yarn plating a plurality of main loops in the same Wales of each of certain courses, and three or more additional wrap yarns plating adjacent main loops on each of said courses and forming shogged plated designs extending lengthwise of the fabric.

2. A circular knit fabric including a body of interlinked courses of main loops and a plurality of wrap yarns, at least one of said wrap yarns plating a plurality of main loops in the same wales of each of certain courses, and others of said wrap yarns forming shogged zigzag plated designs extending lengthwise of the fabric through said courses, said zigzag designs being formed by two adjacent plated loops in each of said courses, said last named loops being plated by two different yarns each of which plates one of said two adjacent loops in each of said courses.

3. A circular knit fabric including a body of interlinked courses of main loops and a plurality of wrap yarns, at least one of said wrap yarns plating a plurality of main loops in the same wales of each of certain courses, and others of said wrap yarns forming shogged zigzag plated designs extending lengthwise of the fabric through said courses, said designs being formed by an equal number of adjacent plated loops in each of said courses, said last named loops being plated by a plurality of diflerent yarns each of which plates one of said adjacent loops in each of said courses.

4. A circular knit fabric including a body of interlinked courses of main loops and a plurality of wrap yarns, at least one of said wrap yarns plating a plurality of main loops in each of certain courses, and another of said wrap yarns plating a plurality of the loops plated by the first named wrap yarn, the last named wrap yarn forming a shogged design composed of the same number of loops in each course.

5. A circular knit fabric including a body of interlinked courses of main loops and a plurality of wrap yarns, at least one of said wrap yarns plating a plurality of main loops in a single course, and another of said wrap yarns plating only a single main loop in one course and only a single main loop in another course, said single main loops being in different wales, there being plated by a wrap yarn other than the one last mentioned that main loop in the last mentioned course which is in the same wale as the first mentioned single main loop.

6. A circular knit fabric including a body of interlinked courses of main loops and a plurality of, wrap yarns, one of said wrap yarns plating a plurality of main loops in a single course and in another course plating no main loops in the wales of any of said plurality of main loops, but plating at least one main loop in another wale, and another of said wrap yarns plating only a single main loop in one course and only a single main loop in another course, said single main loops being in different wales, there being plated by a wrap yarn other than the one last mentioned that main loop in the last mentioned course which is in the same wale as the first mentioned single main loop.-

7. A circular knit fabric including a body of interlinked courses of main loops and a plurality of wrap yarns, at least one of said wrap yarns plating a plurality of main loops in a. single course, and at least three contiguous main loops in a single course being plated by different wrap yarns.

8. A circular knit fabric including a body of interlinked courses of main loops and a plurality of wrap yarns, at least one of said wrap yarns plating a plurality of main loops in a single course, at least three adjacent main loops in a single course being plated by different wrap yarns, and

at least one of said difierent wrap yarns plating a main loop in another wale in at least one other course to produce a shogged pattern.-

9. A circular knit fabric including a body of interlinked courses of main loops, a wrap yarn plating a plurality of main loops in one of said courses, and at least two additional wrap yarns plating in the same course main loops between main loops plated by the first mentioned yarn.

10. A circular knit fabric including a body of interlinked courses of main loops'and a plurality of wrap yarns, at least one of said wrap yarns plating a plurality of main loops in a single course, and at least two main loops in the same course contiguous to each other and to said plurality of main loops being plated by different wrap yarns.

11. A circular knit fabric including a body 01. interlinked courses of main loops and a plurality of wrap yarns, at least one of said wrap yarns plating a plurality of main loops in a single course, and at least two main loops contiguous to each other being plated by difierent wrap yarns, said last two main loops being in wales contiguous to the wales including the first mentioned plurality of main loops.

12. A circular knit fabric including a body of interlinked courses of main loops and a plurality of wrap yarns, at least one of said wrap yarns plating a plurality of main loops in a single course, and at least two main loops contiguous to each other being plated by different wrap yarns, said last two main loops being in wales contiguous to the wales including the first mentioned plurality of main loops and in a course other than the course containing said first mentioned plurality of main loops and in which the first mentioned wrap yarn does not plate loops in all of the wales of said plurality of main loops.

' WILBUR L. HOUBEMAN. 

